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Welcome to Kuching, Sarawak!Take a quick look around Kuching and you will certainly notice a historic building or site, stately and unique, enchantingalways; these are just some of the attractive charms of the city. Singularly or clustered, these fascinating cultural andhistoric icons are found at almost every turn and step you take around the city.

Starting from the Brunei Sultanate Empire during the 17th and 18th Century to the White Rajahs for much of the19th and 20th Centuries, the city's wealth of heritage sites offer an exciting mix of western and eastern influencesspread within walking distances of each other. A haven to most, it is also bewilderment in choice of venues to visit forthose with premium on time.

Amidst the skylines of the City today, you will also find distinctive buildings from the days gone by, from the BrookeEra’s and British Colonial style architectures, archaic Chinese temples and alleyways to surprisingly fresh new looks forcenturies old shophouses. This once riverine trading post has since then grown to be a strategic port, administrativetown, business centre and capital city. Almost all the modern amenities expected of a city are available here, minus thehustle and bustle of a metropolis. Careful planning of the surrounding environment to maintain this leisurely pace isKuching's gift to residents and visitors alike, a feeling of warmth and comfortable existence that's real and stimulating.

Multi-culturism is the face of Kuching; most visitors can't tell the residents from the out-of-towners as thismelting pot of ethnic diversity is both fascinating and interestingly confusing. The rich varieties of food can be tempting,challenging; indecisions on choices are positively understandable. Also, those travelling with pocket dictionaries quicklydiscover their usefulness - inside the backpacks! as English is both spoken and welcomed here. Discover Kuching andbe prepared to be surprised by its rich historical, cultural treasure trove and warm friendly people.

Kuching Heritage Trails | 1 | The Brooke Legacy

Kuching Time Line | The transformation of a riverine trading post to a city

Sarawak was named after its thriving trade of antimony at that time, which was known as ‘serawak’ in Malay. JamesBrooke informally named his capital ‘Sarawak’ in 1842, even when the locals called it ‘Kuching’. Although there was noofficial acknowledgement on this, the town shared this appellation until August 1872, when Charles Brooke, nephewand successor to James, officially reverted it to ‘Kuching’. Another hundred years later, Kuching was declared a city on1st August 1988.

As serene as Kuching looks now, its past was anything but that. Rebellions, pirates‚ attacks and head-hunting raidswere once the reality of life here, leading to the abandonment of two earlier trading sites at Tupong river in 1700 A.D.and near the Santubong river mouth in the early 1800 A.D., both set up by the Sultanate. The present Kuching site wasthen established not far from the Brunei Governor's residence which was just across the river.

When an English adventurer, James Brooke arrived in Kuching in 1839 with his ship, The Royalist, the Sultanate tookthe opportunity to quash the rebellion which had been going on since 1836. Both the Malays and the Bidayuh rebelswere defeated in 1840 by the superior guns of the ship and Brooke was rewarded with the Government of Sarawak.Two years later, in 1842, he became the first White Rajah of Sarawak.

The peaceful reign that followed led to the growth of Kuching as more traders began arriving. The Chinese were luredby the gold and antimony mines, the Indians and Strait Settlement group, Indonesians from Sambas and Pontianak alsoarrived in search of better livelihood while many of the defeated rebels also chose to settle down in Kuching later.

The name ‘Kuching’ is known to have been derived from Sungei Kuching, a rivulet that flowed past the Tua Pek KongTemple, before joining the Sarawak River. The rivulet was probably named after the mata kucing (cat’s eye) fruit treethat once dominate the area just behind the hill behind the temple, the Bukit Mata Kuching. Another version claims thatthe Chinese and Indian traders referred to this flourishing port at ‘cochin’, which closely resembles ‘Kuching’.

The Brooke Legacy (1841 - 1941)The early history of Sarawak is unique in Malaysia as the state was ruled not by a foreign empire, butby a family. The Brookes (also called the White Rajahs) were responsible for most of the earlyarchitectural and urban development of Kuching, having been in rule for 100 years.

The First Rajah, James Brooke (born 29 April 1803, died 11 June 1868) was a man of adventure.Born in Benares, India, he served in the Burmese war in 1825 and began his sailing adventures withthe purchase of a schooner, The Royalist, in 1835 from an inheritance of 30,000 Pounds upon thepassing of his father.

On April 15 1839, James arrived in Sarawak and was enlisted by the then Governor, Pengiran MudaHashim, uncle of the Brunei Sultan, to put down a revolt. With superior weapons and tactics, he quicklyquashed the rebels and in return, was made Rajah in 1842, thus initiating the reign of the White Rajahs here.

Kuching then consisted of humble timber huts with nipah thatched roofs nestled along the Sarawakriver, primarily the stretch along the present Main Bazaar. Some of the notable buildings during James’reign were Bishop's House (1849), old State Mosque (1847), the Government House (1857), the St.Thomas Cathedral (1857) and the Tua Pek Kong (pre1839).

Charles Brooke (born 3 June 1829, died 17 May 1917) was a nephew of James and succeeded thefirst Rajah in 1868. Charles was the consummate administrator and a sticker for order and decorum.Mr. A.B. Ward, a civil servant who served under the Rajah from 1899 to 1923, had remarked thatdinners at the Astana were always formal and punctuality was obligatory. At the sound of the gunsfrom Fort Margarita at 8pm sharp, diners were led in personally by the Rajah. Punctually at 10pm, theRajah would bid his guests and officers good night before retiring to bed, leaving his guests to departas best they could.


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Among the impressive buildings of Charles’ reign includes the old Kuching Courthouse (1874) and Indian Mosque(1876), Fort Margherita and Square Tower (1879), Kuek Seng Ong Temple (1895), the Pavillion (1909) and the oldChinese Court (1912).

Under Charles’ administration, thoroughfares like Carpenter Street, India Street and Rock Road emerged by 1870s withsmaller pathways joining them to Main Bazaar. In 1880, when cement first arrived in Kuching and after the Great Fire of 1884which razed many timber structures, masonry and concrete constructions began to take precedence over wooden

structures and buildings. Of significance too duringCharles’ reign were the development of publicinfrastructure with the introduction of waterworks,telephone and railway, the latter discontinued after1930s due to the huge financial losses in the operation.

Charles Vyner Brooke (born 26 September 1874,died 9 May 1963), eldest son of Charles, ascendedthe throne in 1917 and was quite the opposite tohis father, being more of a carefree, happy-go-luckyand deeply shy man. The reign of the White Rajahseffectively came to an end with the invasion of theJapanese forces on Christmas Eve in 1941.

The significant building’s under Charles Vyner included the General Post Office building (1931) and also the firstcinema named after the Ranee Sylvia in 1934 (demolished in 1966).

At the end of World War II in 1945, Sarawak was ceded to Britain and became a Crown Colony. Hence, unlike other partsof Malaysia, the colonial period was relatively short: 18 years, till the formation of Malaysia on 16 Sept 1963.


The Brooke Legacy - self guided toursThe historic precinct of the old Kuching city is best navigated on foot, with an up close and personal encounterwith the heritage and culture of the place and its people. The Brooke Legacy self-guided tours highlight someof the buildings that best capture the charm of the Brooke era. The 25 featured buildings are all within walkingdistances and the streets along the routes are highlighted to provide a nostalgic look into the past.

Starting at the Old Kuching Courthouse which was the government administrative centre during the Brookeera, Route 1 covers the eastern part of the old Kuching town, while Route 2, covers the west end of the old town.

Route 1 and Route 2 will take about 2 hours each of leisurely exploration, or longer if you stop to investigate orcatch short rests between each site along the way.

Things to remember when planning to visit these sites!

Kuching’s tropical position makes hats, shades and umbrella useful items to bring along when on the trail.Drinking water is recommended and light, comfortable clothing make the journey pleasurable. Always checkthat your shoes or footwear are comfortable to avoid bruised, sore or blistered feet that will spoil the holidayhere.


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Old KuchingCourthouse 1

Brooke Memorial 2

The Japanese Building 3

The Old GovernmentTreasury and Audit

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The Round Tower 5

The Pavilion 6

General Post Office 7Guan Thian Siang Ti

Temple 8

Kueh Seng OnnTemple 9

Tua Pek Kong Temple 10

Old Chinese Court 11

Fort Margherita 12

The Astana 13Old Sarawak

Steamship Building 14

Square Tower 15

This is the route where the variety of sites with different architecture and cultural backgrounds abound. The 2-hour (approx.) routeintroduces visitors to the historical precinct of old Kuching city, where featured buildings are closely located to each other. Visitorsmay join the trail at any point along the Route, but are strongly encouraged to begin at the Sarawak Tourism Complex (Old KuchingCourthouse) where useful brochures of the City, state and country can be obtained. The Complex also resides in the centre ofboth Kuching Heritage Trail Routes. This route focuses on the eastern side from the Old Kuching Courthouse.

(1) OLD KUCHING COURTHOUSE (1868–1900s)

The Old Kuching Courthouse is the first Brooke era administrative building which housed all thegovernment functions under one roof. Commenced in 1868, there were many subsequent blocksadded to it that created a courtyard. The architectural features of the building adapted to the localclimate with long thin blocks and deep verandahs. Local materials like belian (iron) wood, sun-driedclay brick, sand lime plaster and lime wash finish were primarily used in the construction of thisbuilding. The harmonious integration of simplified classical elements adapted to local conditionsmakes this a fine example of Brooke era architecture.

Conservation of the Old Kuching Courthouse forAdaptive Re-use as Sarawak Tourism Complexwas completed in 2003. The project won severalNational awards for conservation. Descriptiveplagues mounted on the individual block providedetailed historical information of the building.


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(2) BROOKE MEMORIAL (1924)

This 6-meter high granite obelisk, design by Architect Messr. Swan & McClaren (Singapore) tohonour the second Rajah, Charles Brooke for his services and dedication to the statewas commissioned in 1924. At each corner of the obelisk is a bronze panel with figuresrepresenting Chinese, Iban, Malay and Kayan communities, a reminder of the ethnicdiversity found in the state.

(3) THE JAPANESE BUILDING (1941–1945)

Called the Japanese Building, it was the only purpose-built administrativebuilding by the Japanese Occupational Force in Sarawak during the WorldWar II (1941-1945). POWs from Sabah and Sarawak (detained at BatuLintang Camp) were marched daily to the site to provide the labour forcefor construction of this building. Its construction blocked off the connectionfrom India Street to Carpenter Street. In 1989, passage ways were created atthe building to re-establish a link between the two streets.

(4) THE OLD GOVERNMENT TREASURY & AUDIT DEPARTMENT BUILDING (1927)

Completed in 1927, this building carried similar sensibilities to the Old KuchingCourthouse in terms of architectural expression. This was the first building inSarawak to use a pre-cast concrete floor system. The Government Treasuryand Audit Department vacated this building in 1954 and it was later used byBank Negara Malaysia (Central Bank of Malaysia).


(5) THE ROUND TOWER (1886)

After the great fire of 1884 which destroyed much ofthe buildings between Carpenter Street and Main Bazaar,this was the first public building built and was completedin 1886. The Round Tower was operating as the towndispensary when the Pavilion building behind it was usedas the Medical Headquarters. However, it was commonlythought that the building was intended as a sentry postand possibly also as a defence outpost for the Brooke administrators due to its strategic siting. The presence of narrowslit windows, much like gun-slots, probably provided much fuel for speculation.

(6) THE PAVILION (1909)

This building, originally used as the Medical Headquarters, was one of thefirst public buildings of more than 2 stories high. Built with concrete framesand supported by bakau (mangrove timber) piling, it also had a concreteflat roof where occupants used to lounge and watch the setting sun, asfondly recalled through numerous writings of that era. The ground floorhoused consulting rooms, a laboratory and offices, whereas the1st floorwas the ‘European Hospital’ and nurses’ quarters occupied the top floor.During WWII, the building was used as a propaganda HQ by the Japanese.

After the war, it was occupied by the Education Department until the 1970s, when it was used by the Judiciary Department.The building had been conserved and is currently used by the Museum Department as their Textile Museum.

The Textile Museum opens daily from 9am till 5.30pm.


(7) GENERAL POST OFFICE (1932)

This majestic building was designed by Denis Santry of Messr. Swan& McClaren Architects (Singapore). Completed in 1932 under CharlesVyner (the third Rajah), the Neo-Classical facades were quite incontrast to the style of buildings favoured by James and Charles Brooke(the first and second Rajah). The site was once used for a police stationand also the Rajah’s Stables. Occupants of the old MedicalHeadquarters across the road fondly recall looking to the Rajah’sStables, surrounded by areca palms, to the coach house, hay loft andharness room, and watching the horses being fed, watered & groomed.

(8) GUAN THIAN SIANG TI TEMPLE (1889)

This temple was completed in 1889, by the Chinese migrants predominantlyfrom the Guangdong province of China. A stage was built directly acrossthe road where operas were performed during festivals to appease thedeities. The temple also serves as a community hub for the localresidents and is especially vibrant during religiously related festivals.Annual processions are organised for the temple deities on the 4th dayof the 12th month of the lunar calendar. Currently, the area in front of thestage is also occupied by stalls serving local (non-halal) delicacies.

Carpenter Street was called ‘atap street’ because of the atap (nipah palm leaves) buildings and carpenters’ workshopswhich flourished there before the great fire of 1884. It was also known to the locals, since the Brooke era, as ‘back street’because it was considered the ‘back’ street to Main Bazaar which fronted the riverfront. In those days, the street was


notoriously infested with gambling dens, opium-smoking joints and brothels, whichwere eventually eradicated by the British Colonial government. After the fireof 1884, the second Rajah, Charles Brooke banned inflammable materials liketimber and atap leaves, and decreed that all new shophouses must have brickwalls. Carpenter Street ends at the junction of Bishopgate Street, where LebohEwe Hai begins.

(9) KUEH SENG ONN TEMPLE (1895)

This temple was built by the Hokkien community in 1895. Accordingto a local legend, during the Great Fire of 1884, locals saw a vision ofa child deity waving a black flag to put out the fire. In commemorationof this event, a great annual procession is held on the 22nd day of the2nd month of the lunar calendar. A stage was also built across theroad from the temple, for rituals and operas during temple festivals.The original temple was demolished in 2005 and a new temple wasbuilt in its place.

(10) TUA PEK KONG TEMPLE (pre–1839)

This temple was believed to have been built by the Chinesemigrants from Kalimantan, Indonesia. In his early records of 1839,a guest of James Brooke, Frank Marryat, mentioned a similarChinese temple at the same location, thus possibly making thistemple the oldest temple in Kuching. In the olden days, this


temple overlooked the mouth of the Kuching stream which ran between the temple and the Old Chinese Court (present ChineseHistory Museum), to the Sarawak River. Numerous additions and renovation works had been done over the original structure.The dominant dragon frieze was added to the retaining wall in the early 1980s.

(11) OLD CHINESE COURT (1912)

Declared open in 1912 by the Rajah, this single storeybuilding was originally used by the Chinese community as acourt to administer the laws and customs on marriage,divorce and probate. It effectively took care of all civilcases involving Chinese litigants, which was in line withthe wishes of the third Rajah, Charles Vyner who wanted

the Chinese to settle their own matters among themselves. The Chinese court was dissolved in 1921. The Chinese Chamberof Commerce formed in 1930, used it as their office until 1990. Since 1993, the Sarawak Museum had set up its Chinese HistoryMuseum here, with displays that traced the history of Chinese settlement in Sarawak.

(12) FORT MARGHERITA (1879)

From the Main Bazaar, situated across the Sarawak River, thefort was named after Ranee Margaret, the wife of Charles Brooke(second Rajah). Strategically perched on top of a hill, with vantagepoints overlooking Kuching and the river, it was the ideal sentrypoint for the settlement. It was first occupied by the SarawakRangers until 1932. Charles Brooke established the fort as his firstline of defence. Ironically, during WWII, the Japanese circumvented


this heavily fortified defence site by marching into Kuching through the Satok Bridge without much resistance. It wasused as the Police Museum until 1999.

Fronting the Sarawak River, the Main Bazaar carries thedistinction of being one of the oldest streets of Kuching. Thebazaar started out with a small settlement of ’atap’ buildings,which was later lined with rows of timber shophouses facingthe river. With the fire in 1884 that destroyed the stretch oftimber and ‘atap’ shophouses, it was rebuilt with sturdiermasonry structures. These stretch of buildings used to servethe port and wharves lined along the river as the trading centre

of Kuching. Back in its heydays, the bazaar was alive with the sight of rickshaws plying the street and the boisterous soundof hawkers peddling street food. Now, it is often referred to as an ‘antique arcade’ not only because of its old-fashionedfacades but also for the variety of antiques and handicrafts outlets found here.

(13) THE ASTANA (1870)

This romantic structure standing across the river in its regalsplendour was the private residence of the Rajah CharlesBrooke which was built as a bridal gift to his beloved wife, theRanee Margaret. Before the Astana was built on this site,James Brooke’s first residence was called ‘The Grove’, whichwas later replaced by ‘The Government House’ after a fire in1857. After the completion of the Astana in 1870, ‘TheGovernment House’ was demolished. The Brookes continued


to occupy the Astana until WWII when Sir Charles Vyner Brooke left Sarawak during the Japanese Occupation. Now, theAstana is the official residence of the State Governor.

This building is not accessible to the general public.

The Kuching Waterfront had undergone several transformations since 19th century, from a small settlement of modest‘atap’ buildings, to a busy port with warehouses and wharves, and to the landscaped riverside walk it is today. During the days ofthe Rajahs and the British colonials, boats would berth along the Sarawak River waterfront, which was lined with godowns andcustom offices. Travellers and cargo alike would embark and disembark at the wharves, making the waterfront a hive of activityduring its glory days.

(14) OLD SARAWAK STEAMSHIP BUILDING (c.1930)

The Sarawak Steamship Company started in 1875 with anoffice at a wing in the Old Kuching Courthouse. Built in 1930s,this building used by the Company as warehouse and office.Extensively renovated, it has now been transformed into acommercial centre with restaurant, fast food outlet andconvenience store.


(15) SQUARE TOWER (1879)

Completed about the same time as the Fort Margheritain 1879, both forts served as sentry posts on each sideof the Sarawak River. Built next to the first Kuching Prison(1877, demolished c.1930s), it served as a maximum-security detention centre. Adjacent to the Square Tower,is the landing point called Pengkalan Batu, where theRajahs disembarked from the Astana to attend toadministrative matters at the Old Kuching Courthouse.The Square Tower, which was later, converted to a dancinghall used by the Brooke’s officers and servants duringmost of the weekends when he was in Kuching.


Old Kuching Courthouse 1

Old Markets 16First Sarawak Museum

Exhibition Building 17

Banka Building 18

Indian Mosque 19

Old Fire Brigade Station 20

Brooke Dockyard 21

Old State Mosque 22Old Railway Station and

Maintenance Depot23

Central Police Station 25

Old Government PrintingOffice

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Continuing from Route 1, Route 2 will further explore the western side of Kuching’s historical precinct. This route will takeapproximately 2 hours to complete.

(16) OLD MARKETS (1924–1959)

Beyond the Square Tower at the termination of the Kuching Waterfront,resides the market district. Along this stretch, there is the VegetableMarket and Fish Market (1924), Pork Market (since destroyed by fire in2002) and Poultry Market (1957). In the earlier days, these marketswere of rudimentary timber and ‘atap’, which faithfully supplied dailyprovisions to town folks. With the burgeoning trade at the wharves alongthe riverfront, the markets prospered and were upgraded to masonryconstruction. The market district continues to serve the population of

Kuching. As early as 3 a.m., traders can be seen unloading their goods for another day of haggling with customers.

(17) FIRST SARAWAK MUSEUM EXHIBITIONBUILDING (c.1889)

In 1878, Charles Brooke (the second Rajah) decreed that a collectionbe started with the view of creating a museum. This building wasused as the first Museum Storage and Exhibition galleries in 1889,while awaiting a new Sarawak Museum proper to be completed


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(presently along Jalan Tun Abg Haji Openg). Temporarily stored at the Clock Tower of the Old Kuching Courthouse, the collectionwas displayed for the first time to the general public in 1889 in this building. The artefacts were eventually relocated to the MuseumBuilding (1891), along with some new exhibits that arrived from the British Museum. Since the British colonial period till thepresent time, many government departments have occupied this building.

Gambier Street is named after ‘gambier’ which was a principal item of trade during CharlesBrooke’s time. It is an extract of the leaves of ‘Uncaria Gambier’, a large tropical vine. Asidefrom its medicinal properties, gambier is also widely used for leather tanning, as natural dyesand as a condiment to betel-nut chewing. Mainly cultivated and traded by the Chinese migrants,it commanded a good price in export during the late 1890s.

(18) BANKA BUILDING (1929)

This 3-storey building was once used primarily for the storage ofantimony ores, a mineral that was among the primary export ofSarawak even before the arrival of James Brooke in 1839. Althoughoriginally a 2-storey warehouse (pre-1929), through the years ithad undergone many renovations. The wharf behind this buildingfacilitated the export trade as small boats would ferry the ores downfrom the Sarawak River here before transferring to ocean goingboats. When the antimony trade ceased in 1877, other items likegutta percha (latex from ‘nyatoh’ tree, a local hardwood), gambier,rubber and pepper were also traded in the 1890s.


(19) INDIAN MOSQUE (1876)

Towards the middle of portion of the rows of shops frontingthe markets are a stretch of spice shops that displaysdistinctive Moorish architecture on their facades. Nestledbehind these spice shops is the Indian Mosque. Built bythe Muslim Indian merchants that had settled here andflourished with their textile and spice trade in this area,this Indian Mosque was believed to have started outas an ‘atap’-roofed structure as described in one of MrsMcDougall’s early records (c.1850s). Still actively patronized by the faithful, it is the oldest and only Indian mosque in Kuching.This mosque is accessible from Gambier Street through a distinctive archway, and also through a narrow alleyway (Indian MosqueLane) that effectively provides an intermediate link from Gambier Street to India Street.

A dirt road, known as ‘Kling Street’, was structurally improved overthe decades and renamed India Street in 1928. In its early days,the majority of traders here were Indian migrants involved in tradingtextiles, brassware and spices and market goods. Today it is flankedby century old shophouses, where some had been renovated withmodern designs. It used to be congested with vehicles loading andunloading wares before it was converted into a pedestrian mall in late1980s. Still supplying textile and spices to the general population ofKuching, it is also lined with shops that supplies daily provisions, foodand clothes stores with every available space stacked to the fullest.


(20) OLD FIRE BRIGADE STATION (c.1917)

This Old Fire Brigade Station started with the arrival of the first coal-powered fire engine from England in 1917. The site was the GartakRiver, where local residents drew water from, before it was reclaimedin 1907. Later the Station was built on this site. The old Fire Brigadelookout tower was left unscathed although the Station was demolishedwhen the new Fire Station at Jalan Padungan was completed. To servethe transportation hub within its vicinity, food stalls sprouted aroundthe Lookout Tower, where patrons used to dine alfresco. Even thougha roof was later put over this food centre, locals still fondly refer tothis place as the ‘open-air’.

The ‘open-air’ food centre is flanked by Gartak Streetand Power Street. Gartak Street derived its namefrom the reclaimed rivulet, which used to be accessedby the local residents on old rickety wooden ‘gartak’(Malay colloquial for wooden platform). Power Streetwas named after the first electric power station builtacross the Old Fire Brigade Station, now the ElectraHouse.


(21) BROOKE DOCKYARD (1912)

Work started on the dockyard in 1907 and was declaredopen in 1912 by the Ranee Muda Sylvia (wife of RajahMuda Charles Vyner Brooke). Brooke Dockyard andEngineering Works Corporation were established during thetime of second Rajah, Charles Brooke in 1912. Together withthe Satok Suspension Bridge (1924), it was the first maritimesteel structure building in Kuching. It is still a functioningdry dock for boat repair works since the Brooke era.

(22) OLD STATE MOSQUE (1965–1967)

The first mosque built on this site in 1847 by the family of DatukPattingi Ali, a famous Malay leader, was a simple wooden buildingthat resembled a Malay house with pitch roof, during the reign ofJames Brooke. When cement was first imported in 1880, a majorrenovation with concrete columns and cement floors were addedto the mosque. In 1929, a dome was added to the mosque’s existingstructure, and was then the largest mosque in the state. In 1965,the mosque was demolished to make way for this old state mosque,which was declared open by D.Y.M.M. Yang Di-Pertuan Agung(Reigning Monarch of Malaysia) on 29th October 1968.


(23) OLD RAILWAY STATION AND MAINTENANCE DEPOT (c.1907)

Opposite the road from the Brooke Dockyard and the Old StateMosque is the site where the former Railway Station andMaintenance Depot once stood. The Sarawak GovernmentRailway, which terminated at the 10th Mile bazaar, commencedoperations in 1915. Three locomotives, ‘Bulan’, ‘Bintang’ and‘Jean’ freighted crops and passengers, and once an ice-chilledtrain car carried fresh milk from a dairy farm into Kuching. Trainservices slowed down in 1931 due to the emergence of publicbus services (known as mosquito buses) in 1912, which was a cheaper and a more convenient means of public transport. Thus,the railway service closed in 1933 with heavy financial losses. The Japanese Occupation forces exploited the railway line duringthe WWII to transport passengers & prisoners to work at the quarries at 7th mile. The train station platform was demolished in1965. The old maintenance depot and some remnants of the old railway line can still be seen embedded in the floor today.

(24) OLD GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE (1908)

The Ladies Club building occupiedthis site from 1896 unti l thecompletion of this building in 1908.Upon the completion of thisbuilding, printing machineries fromthe Resident Office at the OldKuching Courthouse was movedhere. After the Printing Office


moved to its present site at the junction of Rock Road and Jalan Tun AbgHaji Openg in 1951, Kuching Municipal Council (KMC), now known asKuching City South Council (MBKS), occupied this building after extensiverenovation works. Today, this building houses the Kuching Resident andDistrict Office.

Khoo Hun Yeang Street was named after the infamous Mr KhooHun Yeang, who held the state-sanctioned monopoly to deal and produceopium and arrack (spirits). The old shophouses fronting this street was builtby Khoo in 1902.

(25) CENTRAL POLICE STATION (1930)

The Central Police Station, built to replace the old PoliceStation which used to occupy the site of the presentGeneral Post Office, opened in October 1931 and hasresiliently retained its original function and facade till today.

Barrack Road was named as such due to the presence ofpolice barracks for Sikh and Sepoy policemen which stretchedfrom India Street up to the Central Police Station. Althoughthese barracks have long since been dismantled, the nameof the road has remained.


This heritage trail is researched and developed jointly by the Sarawak Heritage Society (SHS) and MalaysianInstitute of Architects Sarawak Chapter (PAMSC). Supported by the Ministry of Urban Development & Tourism(MUDT) and the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), the heritage trail is conceived as a continuous, non-profit, andresearch based project.

As such, assistance from the public in terms of volunteers, knowledge sharing, correction of erroneousfacts, contribution of archive materials and constructive suggestions for improvement is welcomed.

Information may be forwarded to [email protected].

The heritage trail is targeted as a self sustaining project and donations, which shall be used for the development ofthe trails, are welcome. Contributions in the form of cheques payable to “Sarawak Heritage Society” may beforwarded to:

“Kuching Heritage Trail Project”Sarawak Heritage Society ,c/o Jurutera M & E Konsult Sarawak Sdn. Bhd.Wisma Cemerlang, 6 Jalan Bampfylde, 93200 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Acknowledgement

The trail would not have been possible without the kind assistance from Mr. Ho Ah Chon and family, whogenerously provided permission to use photographs and his many article compilations. A special thanks toPenang Heritage Trust (PHT) and Badan Warisan Malaysia (BWM) for their constant support and guidance.The contribution of the project team members has also been invaluable to the creation of the trail; Datu AloysiusDris • Arlene Chew • Bong Say Chiung • Bong Siak Khiun • Joseph Ingai Gasing • Lim Hock Pheng • MelvinGoh • Melvin Lim • Mike Boon • Peggy Wong • Rose Au • Stephen Mong

Old Kuching CourthouseBrooke Memorial

The Japanese BuildingThe Old Government Treasury and

Audit Department BuildingThe Round Tower

The PavilionGeneral Post Office

Guan Thian Siang Ti TempleKueh Seng Onn Temple

Tua Pek Kong TempleOld Chinese Court

Fort MargheritaThe Astana

Old Sarawak Steamship BuildingSquare TowerOld Markets

First Sarawak Museum ExhibitionBuilding

Banka BuildingIndian Mosque

Old Fire Brigade StationBrooke Dockyard

Old State MosqueOld Railway Station and

Maintenance DepotOld Government Printing Office

Central Police Station

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Supported by: A Project Compiled & Developed by:

SarawakHeritage Society

Malaysian Institute of ArchitectsSarawak Chapter

Ministry of UrbanDevelopment & Tourism

SarawakTourism Board

a project by - sarawak heritage...

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